Can I just brag for a second? Because, um….I nailed it. I set out to make a rich, thick, chocolaty homemade hot cocoa and I. Freaking. Nailed. It. Ok, bragging done.
Joel and I are both huge fans of hot cocoa, but lately, I’ve found myself wanting more than just the powdery packet mixed with milk. Even though I normally add a candy cane and a giant marshmallow, I always end up wanting something more. I don’t know why in the world I haven’t made homemade hot cocoa before, but I can assure you, I will NOT be going back to the packets. Ever. This hot cocoa is velvety, thick, insanely rich and out-of-this-world chocolaty. I’m in love.
Thick and Rich Homemade Hot Cocoa
1 (12-ounce) can evaporated milk
4 ounces chopped bittersweet or semisweet chocolate (chocolate chips work fine too)
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 scant teaspoon instant coffee powder or espresso powder
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Whisk the milk, chocolate, sugar, salt and coffee powder in a small saucepan over medium heat until the chocolate is completely melted and everything is combined. Stir in the vanilla. Cover and cook on low heat for 7-8 minutes more, stirring occasionally. Turn the heat off and let the hot cocoa sit (still covered) for 5 minutes before serving to allow it to thicken. Serve immediately. Serves 2.
**Some of you might want to thin it out with a little extra milk or water- it’s VERY rich! 
Recipe source: Sing For Your Supper original
Thanksgiving is only 4 days away. So why am I posting a Christmas recipe? Well, you can really make this wassail anytime of the year, but we just happen to make it at Christmas (my mom has made it every year since 1982!), thus making it “Christmas wassail”. I happen to think this would be a wonderful addition to any Thanksgiving day celebration- guests could sip on it while they mingle and wait for the meal, or it could be served after the meal with pie. Joel and I decided to put up our Christmas tree this past weekend instead of the day after Thanksgiving and I made a giant pot of this wassail to sip on while we decorated. Let me tell you, this stuff is WAY better than any holiday candle, potpourri or scentsy burner you can find! It permeates the entire house and makes it smell heavenly while it simmers! It’s one of my very favorite things and I can’t imagine the holiday season without it! Whether you make this for tree decorating day (the best day of the year!), your family Thanksgiving or just a random evening, I hope you enjoy it as much as my family does!
Christmas Wassail
2 quarts apple juice or apple cider
1 48-ounce can pineapple juice
juice of 2 lemons
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon allspice
4 or 5 cinnamon sticks
15-20 cloves, pushed into an orange or apple
Mix all ingredients in a large pot or dutch oven. Cover and cook on low for 2 hours.
*Alternatively you can cook it in a slow cooker on high for 2 hours.
Recipe source: my mom
Please don’t go running off! I KNOW this smoothie looks anything but appetizing, but trust me- it is! It really is! It’s smooth, refreshing and chock FULL of vitamins and good-for-you fruits and veggies! The reason mine is brown instead of green (like the traditional green monster smoothie) is because I added strawberries and blueberries- those colors together give you….brown. Not pretty but darn tasty!
What is a green monster smoothie, you ask? It’s basically just a fruit smoothie with the addition of fresh spinach (an addition you can’t taste, but your body will thank you for!). Spinach is high in calcium, vitamin A and iron, to name a small few. This smoothie is a great solution for people wanting to get their daily fill of fresh fruits and vegetables; it’s SO good for you. I made these a lot when I was first pregnant…unfortunately, little Peach (as my mother has fondly starting referring to the baby) doesn’t care for them much anymore so I haven’t had one in awhile. Hopefully she (or he!) will come around soon, though! 
The beauty in these smoothies is that you can use any fruit you like- bananas, strawberries, peaches, plums…whatever! They make a great breakfast or quick power lunch and keep you full and satisfied! Try one! You’ll love it!
Green Monster Smoothie
1 banana, roughly chopped
4 or 5 strawberries
1/2 cup fresh blueberries
1 small peach, peeled and roughly chopped
1 heaping cup (or more) fresh spinach leaves, thoroughly rinsed
splash vanilla soy milk
1 tablespoon Greek yogurt
2 teaspoons honey
1/2 cup crushed ice
Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Serve immediately.
*this recipe makes a very large smoothie- two could easily share.
Recipe source: Sing For Your Supper original
Here are some other great recipes for green monster smoothies:
Annie’s Eats
Oh She Glows
Naturally Ella
Opera rehearsals have been taking their toll lately, and I feel like I’ve barely seen Joel at all these past 3 weeks. However, I was lucky enough to have a couple of my rehearsals cancelled this weekend, so Joel and I made plans for a little celebration at home. 
We went to the store and got all the stuff to make a huge Mexican feast! We grilled spicy, citrus-y fish, made homemade salsa and guacamole and drank these delicious sunrise margaritas- what a way to spend Saturday night! I just couldn’t wait to share these margaritas with you, especially with Cinco de Mayo being only 3 days away! I think you’ll really love them!
Sunrise Margaritas
2 mangos, peeled and chopped
1 cup fresh lime juice (I ended up using about 8 very juicy limes)
juice from one orange (I used a Cara Cara orange, but blood oranges would be great too)
3/4 cup Kern’s peach nectar
1/2 – 3/4 cup powdered sugar (depending on how sweet you like it), sifted
1 cup tequila
1 cup triple sec (or any orange liqueur)
Place the chopped mango in a blender with the peach nectar and blend until totally pureed and smooth. Pour through a strainer to get all the little fibers out.
Place all the ingredients in a large pitcher and stir to combine. Serve over ice. Serves 4 (or 2 very thirsty people)
Recipe source: Sing For Your Supper original
I know it’s not technically summer yet, but we’ve already had our fair share of 90-degree weather here in Dallas. When it gets that hot, you need something cold and refreshing to cool you off. Joel and I were working in the yard last weekend and got really hot; at the end of the day after all that digging, planting and sweating, a nice tall glass of this sangria hit the spot big time! I love drinks like this because they’re so easy to adapt, depending on what you have in your kitchen. We had a tangelo (sort of a cross between an orange and tangerine- delicious!), an apple, some fresh strawberries and pineapple and limes. All you need is a couple of hours for chilling and you’ve got a totally delicious, refreshing sangria!
Sparkling Summery Sangria
1 bottle dry white wine (a Sauvignon blanc would be nice, or even chardonnay)
1 cup 7-up soda
1 tangelo or orange, sliced into thin rings
1 lime, sliced into thin rings
5 or 6 strawberries, hulled and cut into quarters
half an apple, cut into chunks
5 or 6 chunks fresh pineapple
Pour the wine and 7-up in a large pitcher and add the fruit. Chill for at least 2 hours before serving.
*feel free to use any fruit you have on hand- this would be great with just about anything! Melon, peaches, blueberries…anything you like!
Recipe source: Sing For Your Supper original
They may not seem like much, but in the early 1900′s, flavored sodas (and ice cream sodas) became quite popular. So popular in fact, uptight teetotalers declared them “immoral” and banned them on Sundays. Sheesh. Nowadays, us Americans sure love a good ice cream soda, or “float” as it’s also referred to. I definitely do, but for some reason tend to forget about them. Until a few days ago when I saw a delicious looking chocolate soda on Amy Bakes Everything- it was so tempting, I just had to make my own! Of course I couldn’t resist adding a healthy scoop of Blue Bell vanilla ice cream to mine.
The possibilities with sodas are endless! All you need is a flavored syrup (chocolate, caramel, strawberry, etc…) and a little soda water and you’re just about set! You simply MUST have whipped cream and a cherry on top, though! And it wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world to throw a little ice cream in there too. We had SO much fun making and drinking these- they’re perfect for parties or even a little something for a late night sweet tooth!
Old Fashioned Chocolate Sodas
-inspiration from Amy Bakes Everything
You’ll need:
chocolate syrup, such as Hershey’s
whipped cream (yes, I used Redi-Whip. It was awesome.)
maraschino cherries
vanilla ice cream
club soda or seltzer water
colored straws (these aren’t required, but it sure tastes better through a pretty pink straw)
Place a little chocolate syrup in the bottom of your glass (I ended up using around 1/4 cup per glass- we like ‘em chocolaty!), top with one scoop of ice cream. Pour the soda water over slowly and stir (you may want to add a little more soda water after stirring if the foam deflates a little). Top with whipped cream and a cherry. Enjoy with a pretty pink straw.
Mmm, fizzy chocolate…..
Here’s another quick and easy homemade gift idea: chocolate coffee mix. It’s so simple to throw together and tastes so good on cold winter mornings! In fact, I think a jar or two of this, a jar of spiced tea mix and some delicious homemade treats like cookies, peppermint bark or Chex Mix would make one heck of a gift basket for your friends, family and coworkers! Everybody loves gift baskets full of homemade goodies, right? Right!
This is another one of my mom’s yummy recipes (she has a ton of awesome holiday drink mix recipes!), and somehow I only just discovered it this year! I made a double batch of it and every morning I have a big cup- it’s a perfect way to start my day (believe me, when you teach high schoolers how to sing, you need something a little more special than regular coffee to get you geared up in the mornings…..maybe coffee with liquor in it…..or maybe just straight liquor…). Make this chocolate coffee part of your gift-giving this year- your friends will thank you!
Chocolate Coffee Mix
-from my mom’s recipe collection (not sure of the original source)
1/2 cup instant coffee (I’m sure espresso powder would be great as well!)
1 1/2 cups powdered Coffeemate creamer (original flavor)
1/2 cup Nesquik (powder)
1/4 cup sugar
dash salt
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
Mix all ingredients in a blender or food processor until well combined.
To serve: use 1-3 heaping teaspoons per cup of boiling water.
*Also tastes delicious with a little crushed peppermint thrown in the mix!
**For gift-giving, I recommend making a double (or even triple!) batch since the recipe doesn’t yield very much
I’m a big fan of homemade gifts. Mainly because I enjoy food and drink so much, I guess I just expect everyone else to as well (that’s not always the case, but nevertheless, if you’re friends of ours, you can bet your gift will be edible). My mom makes this spiced tea every year at Christmas and it’s just scrumptious. Really. There’s nothing more comforting than sipping a big cup of this while watching a Christmas movie, and I imagine it would be perfect after an afternoon of playing out in the snow….just a guess, seeing as how we don’t get much snow ’round these here parts!
As luck would have it, this recipe makes a very large amount, so there’s plenty to go around! It looks great in glass jars with a little ribbon or even cute little gift bags. Pretty much everyone who’s ever tasted this loves it- my father-in-law especially! It really is the perfect gift!
Holiday Spiced Tea
-I think this recipe has probably been around a very long time, but I got it from my mother, who got it from Baba many Christmases ago!
1 cup instant tea (unsweetened)
2 cups Tang (or any powdered orange drink- just NOT Gatorade)
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cloves
Stir all ingredients together in a large bowl.
To serve: stir in 2 rounded teaspoons for every cup of boiling water. Enjoy!
One of my great loves is peach tea. There’s just not much better than sipping a cold, crisp glass of iced tea with the subtle kiss of peach on a hot summer day! For awhile now, I’ve been making my own. It’s so amazingly simple- all you need is a little peach simple syrup. Make one batch and add a little to individual glasses, or just dump the whole thing in a large pitcher for a crowd. You can also use it for tons of other things- drizzle it over a warm pound cake just out of the oven, flavor mixed drinks with it, brush a little over the tops of cupcakes before icing them to keep them moist…the list goes on! There are so many great uses for simple syrup, and this peach flavored one is definitely a keeper!
Peach Simple Syrup
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
2 peaches, pitted and sliced
In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, stir together the water, sugar and peaches. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and stir until sugar is completely dissolved. Remove from heat and let cool completely.
When the syrup is cooled, line a strainer with a paper towel (this will help catch all the peach fuzz and small bits) and strain the syrup into a storage container. Refrigerate until needed.
*This recipe only makes a small amount (enough to flavor one pitcher of tea), so I’d recommend doubling it if you want to use it for multiple things. Never hurts to have too much! It will keep in the refrigerator for a couple of weeks at least!
Mmmm, yummy peach tea!!!
Today is the first official day of Summer- did you know that? And in honor of the occasion, it’s a whopping 101 degrees here in Texas today (big shocker- it’s been in the triple digits for a while now…). Hubby and I went out running errands this weekend and nearly melted- it’s HOT. We immediately came home and jumped in the pool. And had a drink or two. When it’s hot like this, there’s nothing better than floating in the pool with a fruity drink in your hand, while listening to some cool, Caribbean music (my all-time favorite summer music is this CD- we listened to it non-stop on our honeymoon and now it’s our pool-time music of choice!). There are so many great Summery drinks out there- some of our favorites are Piña Coladas, Margaritas (hubby’s all-time favorite drink), and practically anything with coconut rum (lately, I’ve been making one with equal parts Sprite, pineapple juice and coconut rum- delish!). I’ve been wanting to try this Carolina Sangria for awhile now since I saw it in Southern Living a few weeks ago, and yesterday was the perfect opportunity. We had my parents over for Father’s Day and I decided to use them as guinea pigs (again!). My dad absolutely loved it- he said it was every bit as good as the “Paradise Punch” they had in Belize a few years ago! Yay! Looks like I’ve found another perfect Summer drink to add to our regular list!
Carolina Peach Sangria
-adapted from Southern Living Magazine, June 2010
1 (750-milliliter) bottle white wine (I used Chardonnay)
3/4 cup vodka
1 cup peach nectar
6 tablespoons thawed frozen lemonade concentrate
2 tablespoons sugar
1 small (6-oz) can pineapple-banana-orange juice
1 cup club soda, chilled
Combine all ingredients in a large pitcher. Chill until ready to serve. Garnish with peach slices if desired.
